You need to have a starting idea where you want to be in the future and/or what you want to do.

That’s what most people have in mind when talking about goals.

Goal = My vision of future.

But just having a mental picture of it alone won’t make your goal work, ‘ya know?

That’s where this story comes in.

It will help you define your goal really good, and make it fail-proof.

Try it out, and you’ll never search for another system again! 😉

Create a SMART goal

This even sounds great!

“Smart”!

It feels like instantly owing a Ph.D. with high self-confidence tied all together!

But, don’t get so enthusiastic just yet, though!

Even though you may own a Ph.D. and have a very high level of self-confidence, you should go through this process first.

(well… the truth is, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to, but following it through will sure make the road to the end destination easier) 🙂

So, let’s start!

SMART is actually an acronym created to help you remember better the components of a good goal.

Ready to meet them?

Here they are!

S – your goal should be Specific

A specific goal gives the answers to all the “wh” questions.

What is it you want to accomplish?

This is generally viewed as the end result you are trying to achieve, and maybe the easiest question you can give your answer on.

Why are you setting this goal?

The answer to this question gives you the insight into one very important component of a good goal – your reason for pursuing it.

If your goal is closely tied to your values and life priorities there are greater chances it will be achieved, because it is linked to those segments of your life which are meaningful to you the most.

This specific area of defining a goal is your best place to go to if/when facing obstacles and moments of doubt/low motivation along the way.

The deeper the connection between your goal and you, the more easily will such rough times be conquered.

(did I manage to persuade you to give this question a really good thought?)

Who would be involved in it?

Even though your goal could be a completely personal one, it doesn’t mean you should be the only one involved in it.

Achieving goals (especially the “larger” ones) can be one energy-draining, isolated process if considering doing it all alone.

Why would you do that to yourself?

Think about the people which could help you in certain parts or through the whole process.

Count them in.

They don’t have to do the heavy work (but if they can and want to help in it, even better!), but they’ll make a meaningful impact on your goal even by helping around the littlest steps in the process.

So, it’s a good thing to surround yourself with at least a couple of friends (or coworkers).

Believe me, there will be times when all you’ll need would be a little conversation to get you back on the track.

And speaking to yourself ain’t fun… (well, at least not all the time! 🙂 )

Where should the goal take place?

Is your goal tied to any specific location, or there are several places where the action will take place?

Note it and also write it down.

This will be useful when planning out the activities.

You don’t want to run from one place to another and back again if not needed, right?

Which resources might you need to fulfill a goal?

It’s great if your goal can be accomplished with the resources you already have.

In that case, all you have to do is to define them, so you would know right up front what is it you’ll need.

However, there are good chances some additional resource(s) will be necessary in order to achieve the desired goal. And this is also a place where you should think about them and calculate their estimated costs.

(yes, unfortunately for all of us, money doesn’t grow on trees… Therefore it is a wise decision to create at least a draft financial plan right from the start. You don’t want to run out of funds in the middle of your goal, and I don’t believe you would be willing to suffocate in debts later on after you’ve achieved a goal, either.)

M – your goal should be Measurable

You should have some way of measuring what you want to be the outcome of your goal (in a quantitative way).

With units included when necessary!

I’m not talking about “I want to have a lot/little of (insert your thing here)”.

This way you are clearly defining what needs to be done so you could say “Goal accomplished!”.

A – your goal should be Achievable

Or Attainable, whatever works better for you! 🙂

This is a place where you should address the question “How can I accomplish this goal?”.

Think about all the smaller actions and steps that have to be met first in order to get what you strive for.

Are you willing to make a commitment to it and dedicate yourself to the tasks ahead?

Are you in a position to follow it through (or maybe have a help in it)?

R – your goal should be Relevant

Your goal is something which undoubtedly has crossed your mind, but just because it seemed like a good idea, it doesn’t have to be a good thing to pursue it.

Yeah, believe it or not!

When thinking through it, it should give you the positive answers (and a clear sense of direction) to the questions “Does it match my needs/strivings?”, “Is it in line with what I’m currently into?”, “Does it flow naturally in the vision I have for the future?”, “Is it worth it?”, “Is it now the right time to start it?”…

This area is being partially mingled with the answer(s) to the “Why?” question from the “S” part.

By all means, consider this segment to be of high importance and think about it for good because there is no worse thing than going for something which doesn’t genuinely touch you personally.

T – your goal should be Time-bound

When do you plan/hope to achieve your goal?

Is it a month from now? Six months? A year or more?

You have to set the time frame for which you want a goal to be achieved.

There is no point in going through all of this just to leave your goal hanging without a deadline.

No deadline => not making it a priority => not going to happen, because something else will always have more priority over this one.

So, define… your… time… frame!

And another note!

This is also a place where you should apply a reality check.

Be honest about your goal.

Even though I believe any goal is doable (there are some catches to it, of course…), setting one in an unrealistic timeframe will only be contra productive.

When defining a time frame, I would go for the shortest time possible to achieve a goal (just to keep a little positive tension to help being focused on the work) but also add some extra time on top (something always tends to jump in unexpected, don’t you just wish things could always go according to the plan?).

And just by going through these steps, you get one SMART goal ready to rock!

Let’s end it up with an example.

Take a look at this goal: Redecorate the house. (period!)

And now this one: Redecorate the house on a X$ budget in the next 6 months, with the help of 3 handymen, one room at a time, so it would be in a good shape before the baby comes in.

See the difference?

Even though both goals have the same essence, which one you find to be better?

(on the second thought, no need to answer! I think we all agree on that! 🙂 )

Pssst... Here are more related posts just for you, dear! 😉

You’ve set your SMART goal, so why not make it SMARTER? The meaning behind those two extra letters can make a huge difference when it comes to achieving a goal! For helpful tips (and some free goodies), read on…

If you really want to accomplish a goal, there are matters needed to be considered (and understood) even before setting it. These, however, are not related to goals only. By remembering them, you could also benefit in other areas of your life.

Have you ever thought about the reasons why some goal hasn’t achieved? It’s true I named just one reason here, but this reason really makes a BIG impact on goal achievement. If you would like to know it, take a few moments to read the article. This could turn out to be a real game changer for your future goal achievements!